This invention relates to readily replaceable image graphics.
Image graphics are omnipresent in modern life. Images and data that warn, educate, entertain, advertise, etc. are applied on a variety of interior and exterior, vertical and horizontal surfaces. Nonlimiting examples of image graphics range from posters that advertise the arrival of a new movie to warning signs near the edges of stairways.
Readily replaceable image graphics are needed for those occasions when the length of time the graphic needs to remain at the intended location is limited to a short duration, often with a replacement image graphic substituting for the image graphic to be removed. An example of an expected replacement image graphic is the movie poster identified above.
Readily replaceable image graphics require both the xe2x80x9cstaying powerxe2x80x9d when placed on the horizontal or vertical surface and the xe2x80x9cleaving easexe2x80x9d when the image graphic is to be removed. Among different kinds of readily replaceable image graphics are films that have an image on one major surface and a field of adhesive on the opposing major surface. Again, movie posters and other bills are often adhered to a surface. If the adhesive is pressure sensitive and capable of being readily removed without leaving adhesive residue, then the poster can be posted with staying power and removed with leaving ease.
However, not all surfaces are not amenable to pressure sensitive adhesives. In these circumstances, the adhesive contact interface with the surface can fail prematurely. Inadequate staying power is worse than inadequate leaving ease. Therefore, pressure sensitive adhesives on films can be formulated to overcompensate for the possibility of inadequate staying power on uneven or low energy surfaces where pressure sensitive adhesives can have the most difficulty remaining adhered for the intended duration.
Mechanical fasteners are also another method of erecting graphic images. Methods such as staples or tacks have limited utility, as many surfaces are not amenable to such fastening techniques, or the underlying surface will become damaged by the fasteners. Other methods such as frames with friction clips (on many transport buses), windowed cases, or poster boards made of natural (i.e., cork) or synthetic materials (i.e., polystyrene foam) can also be used for replacement graphics. However, these approaches have the limitation of requiring a substantial initial investment to place the first graphic. Further, the graphic is limited in size by the mounting method. In the case of a frame, the size of the graphic must be controlled to within a few millimeters, or the frame will not hold the graphic. All of the above methods suffer from the fact that the fastener detracts from the graphic images, and in many cases the fastener detracts from the impact of the graphic.
The present invention solves problems in the art of providing readily replaceable image graphics by avoiding the use of pressure sensitive adhesives on the major surface opposite the image surface yet providing a mating or meshing action with a substrate, i.e., xe2x80x9csubstrate mating surfacexe2x80x9d.
The present invention solves problems in the art by providing an image graphic mating web comprising a major surface comprising an imageable area and an opposing major surface comprising a nonadhesive substrate mating surface.
The present invention also solves the problem of traditional mechanical fasteners by hiding the fastening method behind the graphic image.
Nonlimiting examples of substrate mating surfaces include surfaces that employ at least one element of mechanical fasteners in mating systems as are marketed under the brands VELCRO(copyright) (Velcro USA, Inc., Manchester, N.H.); SCOTCHMATE(copyright) (3M, St. Paul, Minn.); and DUAL LOCK(copyright) (3M) and as are also disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,761,318; 4,973,326; 5,066,289; 5,077,870; 5,196,266; 5,312,387; 5,316,849; 5,537,722; 5,554,146; European Patent Publication 0 426 359; and PCT Patent Publications WO 9603954 and WO 9621413.
Desirably, the invention uses a mechanical fastener element where the head of the element is larger than the stem in at least one direction traverse to the stem. Nonlimiting examples of mechanical fastener elements meeting this description are included in the disclosures and products identified in the paragraph immediately above, and particularly include stem/head mechanical fastener elements such as hooks in the shape of an xe2x80x9cinverted Jxe2x80x9d, a xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d, and other configurations.
Preferably, the invention is comprised of, but not limited to, a flexible polyolefin material that is shaped on the substrate contact surface into capped posts that resemble mushrooms (referred to herein as xe2x80x9cmushroom-type hooksxe2x80x9d). The imageable surface opposing side is smooth and is capable of being processed to accept an image graphic.
Nonlimiting examples of processing capable of making the major surface imageable include surface modification techniques such as Corona Treatment; liquid coatings dissolved or suspended in either organic solvents or water; or a 100% solids polymeric material that can be extruded or coextruded onto the surface.
The image can be formed by any conventional method. Nonlimiting examples include solvent based inks, 100% solids ultraviolet curable inks, inkjet printing, thermal transfer imaging and electrostatic transfer imaging.
An image graphic mating web of the present invention can then be mated to a substrate that has at least a portion of its surface comprising a companion mating element, whether a companion element to a mechanical fastener or a loop structure that interacts with hooks of the substrate mating surface of the image graphic mating web.
Preferably, the nature of mating described as xe2x80x9chook and loopxe2x80x9d systems forms the bond. Nonlimiting examples of such systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,973,326; 5,066,289; 5,077,870; 5,196,266; 5,312,387; 5,316,849; 5,537,722; 5,554,146; European Patent Publication 0 426 359; and PCT Patent Publications WO 9603954 and WO 9621413; and copending, coassigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/611,351 (Johnson et al.); the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein.
One advantage of hook and loop systems is that the loop portion of the system can be a conventional material used in a conventional setting, such as carpeting, fabric wall coverings, woven and non-woven materials designed to accept the hook portion of the system. Alternatively, the loop portion can be removably attached to a desired surface.
A further advantage of the loop system is that the higher internal strength of many loop systems compared to most films and paper substrates allows the use of a pressure sensitive with higher xe2x80x9cstaying powerxe2x80x9d, while still affording relatively clean and easy removal. In addition, the mating loop can be supplied with any number of pressure sensitive adhesives with various levels of xe2x80x9cstaying powerxe2x80x9d, to match the characteristics of the underlying surface. Further, the loop can be fastened by alternative methods such as nails, staples, tacks or even wet adhesives in water and/or organic solvents that can be applied by methods such as brushing, troweling, spraying or self-contained aerosol cans.
The advantage of the xe2x80x9chook and loopxe2x80x9d system is that no matter how the loop is attached to the underlying surface, the mating action of the loop with the hook remains unaffected. In practical terms, this means the printer or graphic image producer needs only to stock one type of imageable hook substrate that can be used for a large variety of applications.
An image graphic mating web of the present invention can be mated with a loop portion and later removed, in order to mount a new graphic. This process can be repeated for the life of the webs, which can vary from a few to thousands of applications.
A feature of this invention over the prior art is that the image graphic mating web is designed to be the printable substrate for the graphic. Among the advantages of the invention that flow from this feature are the following:
1. Compared to conventional pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) graphic webs, the image graphic mating web does not require a coating of PSA, or a silicone coated liner. The elimination of the silicone coated liner serves two purposes: (a) the liner is an costly component of the graphic film that is discarded after application of the graphic; and (b) a bulky used liner creates disposal or recycling problems for the user of the graphic. In other words, the web of present invention produces less waste during production, and less waste during installation.
2. The image graphic mating web is faster to install than a PSA coated graphic, and this method allows for a more predictable removal. While the image graphic mating web does require a loop structure to be applied first, even the need for this step would not involve a significant time penalty to the graphic installer, because the loop is much easier to install than a PSA film graphic. Further, because the loop is hidden by the graphic image, small defects can be tolerated, and larger defects such as wrinkles can be cut out and replaced. In fact, exact placement and squareness are not as critical because the loop can be mounted in a larger size than ultimately needed, and subsequently can be trimmed square to the proper size. After the initial installation of the loop, mounting of the image graphic mating web is extremely fast, even for a novice installer.
3. An image graphic mating web is more easily repositionable and removable. Current PSA graphic films require an expert installer to achieve a defect-free application, and even in the hands of a person skilled in the art, the repositionable feature can be limited. Further, the PSA graphic films can not be removed and reused under normal circumstances, due to the fact that the film is distorted during removal and the fact that the PSA must be protected during storage. In contrast, an image graphic mating web can be mounted and repositioned a number of times until the desired result is achieved.
4. The mechanical fastening aspect of the image graphic mating web allows for maximum bond strength to be achieved immediately, while allowing for easy removal without distorting the graphic long after the graphic has been mounted. Theoretically, this time interval is only limited by the working life of the webs.
Image graphic mating webs also have a number of advantages over the current art of using hook and loop materials for graphic applications. The current art of using mechanical fastening is typified in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,930,237; 5,024,015; 5,172,504; and 5,482,755. Each of these patents is similar in that small pieces of hook and loop material are added to the finished graphic. The size of the hook and loop fastening varies, or is not specified, but is shown in the drawings typically to be 5% or less of the area occupied by the graphic. In contrast to these approaches, image graphic mating webs have a number of advantages:
1. Since the bonding is continuous over the entire graphic, application is very easy, and no stretching or tensioning is required to eliminate wrinkles or sagging.
2. The continuous coverage allows for flaws in the bonding of the loop to the target surface without causing a catastrophic failure. The current art of using small pieces of hook and loop web means that the stress of the graphic is concentrated on small areas of adhesive, generally a PSA. Any adhesive failure results in a catastrophic failure of the graphic.
3. The image graphic mating web is very thin and lightweight which on large graphics is an important ergonomic consideration.
4. The image graphic mating web is flexible, which makes it easy to transport and install. In comparison, much of the current art requires a rigid graphic web, or a rigid frame, both of which are more difficult to transport.
5. The image graphic mating web is manufactured by a simple polymer extrusion process, where the image receptor layer can be coextruded onto the surface, or can be coated onto the polymer surface at a later time. This process is low waste and economical compared to building up a suitable product by adhesively bonding two or more separate components. Further, since the web is made from thermoplastic materials, recyclablility is enhanced.
6. An installer of the image graphic mating web receives the web ready-to-image. There is no need to attach the hook material to the graphic after imaging. The web can be processed by the customer in a similar manner to the PSA graphics.
Other features and advantages will be considered with the following embodiments described using the following drawings.